Condiment holder



March 3, 1953 c. D. GILMORE CONDIMENT HOLDER Filed March 4, 1946 Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GONDIMENT HOLDER- Chace l). Gilmore, West Chester, Pa.

Application March 4, 1946, Serial N 0. 651,765

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to condiment holders and in general aims to provide an improved combination salt and pepper cellar which will contain two condiments at the same time but will dispense only one of them.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide a ingle holder for the salt and pepper usually found on every table, and to make it possible to dispense either condiment. In this connection reference may be made to the De Salignac Patent No. 589,468; the Svendsgaard Patent No. 688,209; and the Eyam Patent No. 897,453.

The construction of my improved combination cellar is such that feed or discharge of one of the condiments may be nicely controlled. Another advantage of the construction is that the appearance of the combination cellar may be approximately that of an ordinary cellar, that is to say, there need be no outward indication that two condiments are contained. in the combination cellar. Another feature is that while the condiments are held in top and bottom compartments, the condiment in the top compartments may be prevented from spilling when filling the bottom compartment, or in other words, either compartment may be filled without spilling the contents of the other. Another advantageous feature is that the interior of the upper compartment, normally used for salt, contains parts which will break up caked salt, in normal use of the combination cellar. Other objects advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal diametric section, on an enlarged scale, showing the parts in normal position;

Fig. 3 is a view like Fig. 2 but showing how a condiment may be dispensed from the lower compartment under the control of a finger-operated valve; and

Fig. 4 is a perspectve view of the dispensing or valve mechanism, shown removed from the cellar.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the preferred construction includes a hollow body 5 which may be made from a molded plastic and may have any desired color, configuration and ornamental surface. As shown, the body 5 is generally frustoconical, and at its, upper, smaller end it is provided with a metal rin or annulus 5 having screw threads l on th i side. This metal ring may be of stainless steel.

M0118 metal Ql o her metal llifi ilfi l y hi h is not corroded by prolon d on act w th lt (sodium chloride), and is fixed securely to the body by press-fitting, by cement, orin other known ways. Preferably the lower or inner edge of ring 6 abuts against an annular shoulder 53 on the inner wall of body 5. A metal cap 9, having screw threads It and. a circular flange ll, is screwed into the top of the cellar body so that flange ll abuts the upper edge of ring 5 and also the upper edge of body 5, if the top edges of these two parts are flush with each other. Cap 9 is preferably of the same metal as the ring To facilitate screwing and unscrewing of the metal can 9, the outer surface of flange H may be knurled as shown. When the metal can is screwed in place, it will close the upper end of the cellar body except for a central aperture or bore I2 through which the salt is discharged, as will be explained.

At its lower, larger end, the body 5 has a base collar or ring l3 secured therein as by press fitting, and preferably the upper or inner end of the collar !3 has a narrow inturned flange Hi which provides an annular shoulder or abutment for a partition 15 to be described. At its lower end, collar l3 has a narrow out-turned flange it which rests against the bottom edge of body 5. Screw threads ll, cut in collar I3 on the inside, provide means by which a bottom plate is may be secured to the body. The bottom plate has a flange all with a knurled outer surface, to facilitate screwing and unscrewing, and said flange projects not only radially outwardly beyond the confines of the body, but also extends below the body to provide a space 29 underneath the assembled cellar or condiment holder. The bottom plate, like the collar I 3, is also of some non-corrodible metal, and is dished or concave as shown to increase the capacity of the chamber provided in the bottom of the cellar, below partition i5, Centrally the dished or concave bottom plate is provided with a discharge aperture 2% for pepper or other pulverized condiment which it is desired to use with the salt in the upper part of the body.

To control discharge of the condiments from apertures 52 and .2! at the opposite ends of the cellar, a dispensing assembly is provided. The dispensing assembly consists of a metal rod 22 to one end of which a combination valve memher and push button 23 is secured. The valve member 23 a generally cy drical metal d Whose diameter is such that it fits. closely bore 12 in the metal cap 9, but is slidablle if pushed inwardly against coil spring 24. A plurality of ports are cut in the sides of the valve member, and preferably these ports are triangular as viewed in elevation, with the apices of the triangles lying above the closure formed by metal cap 9. Furthermore, the ports 25 are of varying depth, measured radially of the valve member, being of least depth at the apices of said triangles and of greatest depth at the bases of the triangles, which are at the bottom or inner end of the valve member. The several ports 25 are thus normally open end to end, the result being that salt may be dispensed from the top of the cellar at any time, without manipulation of any part. In other words, the salt or other condi-- ment in the upper chamber of the cellar may be dispensed at any time by merely inverting or partly inverting the cellar and shaking in the usual manner of salt cellars.

Coil spring 24 is preferably a coil spring of some non-corrodible metal, and its upper, small end is preferably secured as by solder to the metal rod or stem 22, directly below a shoulder 26 formed on said rod. The lower, large end of coil spring 24 abuts against partition #5. Said partition is preferably dished or convex on its upper face, against which spring 24 abuts, and is made of some highly flexible plastic, with its outer edges fitting snugly in the collar l3 and abutting flange l4. Preferably the plastic partition is secured by cement, not shown, at its outer edges to the interior of the cellar body, but it could be made removable with the dispensing assembly if this is desired. Centrally the partition is formed with a boss 2! and aperture 23 in which the rod or stem 22 has a sliding fit. Below the partition, rod 22 is secured to a second valve member 29 which like valve member 23 is generally cylindrical, with a plurality of triangular ports whose apices are spaced above i the bottom end of the second valve member. Ports 30 are like ports 25 in that they are of varying depth, measured radially, being of greatest depth at the upper or inner end of the second valve member 29. A flange 3|, intermediate the ends of the second valve member 29, engages the bottom plate or wall I8 to act as a stop when valve member 29 is moved outwardly to dispense the condiment contained in the lower compartment of the cellar, as will be understood from Fig. 3. The normal position of the second valve member is shown in Fig. 2, and in this position, aperture 2| is closed and substan tially sealed.

When the described cellar is to be filled, the metal cap 9 is merely unscrewed and salt or other condiment is poured in to the top around the valve member 23, and the metal cap is screwed on again. Then the valve member 23 is pushed down by one finger, as shown in Fig. 3, and the cellar is inverted. With pressure still maintained on the push button provided by the valve member 23, the bottom plate [8 is unscrewed to expose the interior of the lower compartment, which is then filled with pepper or other condiment, and the bottom plate is replaced. Now pressure on the push button is relieved to close and seal aperture 2|, and the cellar is turned over to its normal upright position.

When the combination cellar is to sprinkle salt, it will be used precisely like any conventional salt cellar. When pepper or the other condiment is desired. the user merely depresses the push button and shakes slightly. For heavier discharge, more pressure is applied to the push button.

Besides its obvious advantages the described cellar is an important improvement over many prior art devices in that the longitudinal movements of the valve stem, and the flexing of the coil spring consequent upon such movements, act to loosen the salt and thus minimize the chances of its caking in the upper compartment. The condiment from the lower compartment is under a nice control, as the plurality of ports 30 are so shaped and arranged as to give a very fine discharge if desired, or a heavy discharge, or whatever is preferred.

The mention of metals and plastics in the foregoing description is not to be considered as limiting the invention, but merely as illustrative of the materials which are likely to meet public favor at this time.

Having described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. A combination salt and pepper cellar comprising, in combination, a hollow body; means closing the body at both ends; a partition extending transversely in the body and dividing it into two compartments; said body-closing means being each removable to expose one of said compartments; a valve stem having valve members secured to opposite ends thereof; a coil spring interposed between the valve stem and partition and urging the valve members in one direction; the valve stem passing through the partition; the valve member at the upper end of the valve stem normally projecting beyond the body-closing means at the upper end of the body to provide a button which may be depressed by a finger against the resistance of the coil spring; the valve member at the lower end of the valve stem sealing the body-closing means when the valve member at the upper end of the valve stem projects to the fullest extent permitted; stop means on the valve member at the lower end adapted to engage the body-closing means at the lower end of the body; the valve member at the upper end being so shaped as to permit discharge of the contents of the upper compartment at all times except when the button is depressed to bring the valve member at the lower end to its extreme or stopped position.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the coil spring has a small upper end secured to the valve stem and a large lower end abutted against the partition, the coil spring being flexed by reciprocation of the valve stem thereby to tend to break up caked salt or other condiment in its compartment.

3. A holder and dispenser for two diflerent kinds of condiments comprising a body which is hollow and has a removable closure at each end; a transverse partition in the body dividing it into two compartments sealed from each other; a single valve stem extending centrally of the body; valves fixed on opposite ends of the valve stem; each closure having a central dispensing opening and a valve seat for one of the valves; and a coil spring Within the body and engaging the partition and the valve stem to effect normal seating of the lower valve and unseating of the upper valve; the upper end of the upper valve when unseated providing a button adapted to be depressed to close the dispensing opening in the upper closure with the upper valve and to open the dispensing opening in the lower closure.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the valve has a flange adapted to engage the lower closure to stop further inward movement of button and outward movement of the lower valve off its seat; each valve member having a series of ports in said side walls, each port being of greatest width and depth at its inner end and tapering and becoming shallower toward its outer end, the inner end of each valve member being in contact with any condiment which is placed in the corresponding compartment.

5. A combination salt and pepper cellar having a hollow body with an interior partition by which the body is divided into two compartments normally sealed ofi from each other; the opposite ends or" the body having closures, each closure being provided with an aperture which when open permits direct discharge of condiment from the adjacent compartment; a substantially straight valve stem located axially of the body and passing through the partition; a valve structure fixed at each end of the valve stem, each valve structure being adapted to close one of said apertures; the length of the valve stem plus the valve structures being such that when one of the apertures is completely closed the other is open; a coil spring abutting the partition at one end and engaging the valve stem at the other end and normally holding the upper valve structure open and the lower valve structure closed; the upper valve structure when open projecting upwardly from the body but yieldable to manual pressure to effect closing of its surrounding aperture and opening of the aperture at the lower end of the body.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein each valve structure consists of a body slidable through the corresponding aperture, said body having longitudinally extending ports on the sides 3 thereof, said ports being of progressively decreasing depth and Width outwardly so as to permit relative to its aperture.

CHACE D. GILMORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 453,956 Beazley June 9, 1891 609,468 DeSalignac Aug. 23, 1898 688,209 Svendsgaard Dec. 3, 1901 897,453 Byam Sept. 1, 1908 972,339 Comstock Oct. 11, 1910 1,186,676 Osterbauer June 13, 1916 1,237,632 Gilmore Aug. 21, 1917 1,250,848 Gilmore Dec. 18, 1917 1,354,626 Service Oct. 5, 1920 1,491,529 Haeseler Apr. 22, 1924 1,547,953 Palmer July 28, 1925 1,588,552 Sprinkle June 15, 1926 1,598,955 Compton Aug. 31, 1926 1,749,853 Smith Mar. 11, 1930 1,898,152 Taft et al Feb. 21, 1933 1,931,087 Schwarz et al. Oct. 17, 1933 1,931,090 Schwarz et a1 Oct. 17, 1933 1,965,919 Bieger et a1 July 10, 1934 2,048,118 Gonen et a1 July 21, 1936 '2,459,133 Nyberg Jan. 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 292,456 Italy Jan. 19, 1932 750,285 France May 22, 1933 

